The expansion of Internet user base and the advance of applications have fueled the rapid growth of broadband Internet access.
four technologies are emerging as broadband alternatives to the dial-up modems.
Cable Modem
Cable Modem works more like a Local Area Network (LAN) interface than as a modem. Users connect the Cable Modem to the TV outlet for their cable TV,
and the cable TV operator connects a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) in his end (the Head-End). Speed of Cable Modem varies depends on the providers,
and the data flowing from the CMTS to the cable modem (downstream) is much faster than data flowing from the cable modem to the CMTS (upstream).
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
DSL is a very high-speed connection that uses the same wires as a regular telephone line. You can use the same phone for both your Internet connection
and voice calls. The speed is much higher than a regular modem (1.5 Mbps vs. 56 Kbps). Similar to Cable Modem, the connection is faster for receiving data
than it is for sending data over the Internet. A DSL connection works better when you are closer to the provider's central office.
Wireless Broadband
While cable and DSL utilize Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD), Wireless utilizes Time Division Multiplexing. This allows wireless broadband to support
all applications while offering the entire bandwidth for balancing upstream and downstream traffic. Wireless is asymmetric, and is unable to
support second generation applications such as Video Conferencing, Multimedia Email, Interactive Gaming among others.
Related Topics
Wide area network (WAN)
Wireless LAN
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - Consumer, Industry, Services and Configuration
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) - Equipment, Protocols, Configurations and Technologies
Broadband Technology - Cable Modem
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